Means for operating elevator-gates



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. NEWELL. `MEANS POR OPERATING BLEVATOR GATES.

No. 428,126. Patented May 20, 1890.

(No Model.)

A A. NEWELL.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

MEANS EUR` OPERATING ELEVA'IORA GATES.

No. 428,126. Patented May 20, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheetl 3.

A. NEWELL.

MEANS POR OPERATING ELEVATOR GATES. 10.428.126 Patented May zo, 1890.

f6 *F 2) C i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS NEVELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR OPERATING ELEVATOR-GATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,126, dated May 20,1890.

Application filed July 27, 1889. Serial No. 318,808. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS NEWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for OperatingElevator-Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the inventiomsnch as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to elevator-shafts in which safety-gates areprovided for forming barriers at the entrances to the shaft at differentiioors, and the improvements are particularly applicable to shafts forwhat are termed freight-elevators, such as are used in stores,warehouses, and manufactories for carryin g stock and commodities up ordown from one portion of the building to another. The frequent accidentsto persons by falling down such shafts unguarded at their entrances havedemonstrated the necessity of such a barrier. Various forms of suchbarriers have been used. Most of them have been constructed to requireopening and closing manually by the operator of the elevator, while afew have been partially automatic and a few have been made whollyautomatic. So far as I have been informed, those which have been madewholly automatic are unsatisfactory, because they require so muchadditional work of the elevator, complex connection being made with thelatter, and the barriers being dependent upon the power of the elevatorfor their movement. Those which have been made nonautomatic or onlypartially automatic have been both cumbersome and unreliable. It is tobe noted here that such an elevator-shaft should have barriers whoseoperation is always certain.

The elevator-shaft which I describe herein is provided withentrance-guards which will always positively and automatically assumetheir position before'the entrance to the elevator when the latterleaves theY floor at which it stands, whether it moves up or down. Thesebarriers are in the form of verticallymoving horizontal gates, whichalways stand and remain before the entrances to the shaft withoutreference to the movements or position of the elevator unless drawn outof the way manually by the attendant. On being so drawn down the gate isengaged and held by mechanism which is disengaged by the movement of theelevator in either direction, whereupon the gate is raised by acounterbalance to stand before the entrance. It will be seen that whilethe elevator is in motion the gates stand before the entrances and haveno connection with the elevator, and that when the elevator reaches aHoor it does not move the gates. At such time the attendant on theelevator stops the latter on a level with the floor, and then pressesthe gate downward until its top is even with or a little lower than theiioor, in which position it is engaged mechanically, as before stated.Then when the elevator starts either up or down it does not move thegate from its depressed position, but merely disengages the gate, sothat the counter-balance may perform its work of lifting the gate. Theseremarks apply to the floors intermediate between the uppermost and thelowest,

and they are also applicable to the uppermostl and the lowest floors ifit is desired to there use the saine form of apparatus; but theapparatus may be simplified by arranging for the lifting of theuppermost gates by the elevator when it ascends and allowing them todescend by their weight into their position before the entrances whenthe elevator descends, and by arranging to cause the elevator, when itdescends, to engage the lowest gates and press them down even withy orbelow the lioor and allowing them to rise by the action of thecounter-balance when the elevator again rises.

The details of the elevator-shaft, the elevator, the gates, the engagingand releasing mechanism, and the counter-balances are described belowand illustrated in the drawings.

In said drawings, Figure l is a vertical section parallel to the gatesand through the elevator-shaft, showing a series of floors. Fig. 2 is asimilar vertical section taken at right angles to the gates. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal sec` tion taken above one of the gates.- Figs. 4, 5, and 6are details of the engaging and releasing mechanism. Fig. 7` is a detailof the counter-balance mounting. Fig. 8 is a detail view of an arm.

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A A are the floors of the building.

B B are the walls of the elevator-shaft.

C (l are the entrances to the elevator-shaft.

D D are the gates.

E E are the ways on which the gates run.

Each assemblage of parts constituting the engaging mechanism for one endof the gate I term a loek, and the same is designated by the letter F.

G G designate the weights which constitute the counter-balances.

I will iirst describe in detail the shatt and its appurtenances at oneof the floors intermediate between the uppermost and the lowest floors.This description will answer for all of the iloors between the uppermostand the lowest.

The gates D are by preference made only about half the height of a man,so that they will form a barrier from the l'loor upward to a suieientheight to prevent persons from walking into the elevator-shaft. ThewaysE are applied vertically at the sides ot' the entrance C a littlewithin the elevator-shaft and rise about the height of the gate aboveand below the floor, so that the gate is controlled by these ways whenabove the iioor or below it. The ends of the gate may be `of anysuitable form to adapt them to engage with the ways E. A cord, rope, orchain G is attached to each corner ot the gate and extends upward overthe roller G2 and thence down to the counter-balance G, to which it isattached. The counter-balanee G, the roller G2, and the rope G should beso disposed with the corners of the elevator-shaft as to allow theelevator to pass without hinderanee. The counter-balance G is shown asinelosed within a vertical tube G3 and the roller Gi-as being mountedupon the upper end of such tube by means of the bracket G4. The bracketG'l has a cylindrie sleeve ot proper diameter to loosely surround theupper end of said tube, so that said bracket may be turned laterally tothe proper angle to bring said roller into the proper position withreference to the said tube and the end of the gate; or said sleeve maybe small enough to fit closely within the upper end of the tube, thebracket being Iirst set at the proper angle. In either case said bracketmay be threaded upon the e'nd of the tube, as shown in Fig. '7. The twocounterbalances G are heavier than the gate, so that unless the latteris restrained it is carried to and held in the elevated position bythecombined influence of the two counter-balances. This mounting makescomplete provision for the raising and lowering of the gate, and I needonly to explain the locks by which the gate is held in its depressedposition.

Each gate may be operated by only one lock applied at one end of thegate; but I show a pair of locks to each gate-one applied to each end.\Vhen two locks are used, the gate is held more evenly.

F is a plate applied verticali y to the wall et the elevator, close tothe end of the gate.

Such plate may be secured by bolts or nails extending through the holesAt the upper end of; said plate F an arm F2 is pivoted upon a post fiand extended downward, so as to move after the manner ot' a pendulum,and extends downward 'from the line in which the upper side of the gateis to start when the latter is depressed. From the lower end of theplate F a similar arm Ff* is hinged upon a post f and extends upward andis connected by a suitable joint with the end ot the upper arm F2. Thedrawings show this joint formed by providing the lower end of the arm F2with a notch f2 and extending the upper end of the arm F3 into suchnotch. Under this arrangement the two arms must move in unison. Ifeither is moved laterally, the other must move in the same way. Aprojection fi may be supported by either ot these arms near the saidjoint and extend laterally when the arms have been moved toward the gateinto the path of the corner of the gate, so as to engage the latter,when depressed, over suoli projection and prevent the gate from rising.Suitable stopsj, placed at the sides of either of the arms, limit thelateral movementof the arms andthrough thelatterot the projection f.From the side ot' the arm FL opposite the gate a short arm F4, bearing aweight F5, extends horizontally in such manner as to tend to hold thelower end of the arm F2 at its farthest limit toward the gate, so thatthe projection f3 is always in the path of the corner of the gate unlesspressed aside by the elevator, as will now be described. On the side ofthe arm F2 toward the gate and elevator and between the ends ot said arman extension fT is extended laterallysutticiently to stand in the pathof some part of the elevator Il when said arm is at its farthest limittoward the gate. A similar ex tension j is placed upon the arm F3. It isapparent from an inspection of Fig. 4. that the elevator in passingeither up or down will bear against these extensions f7 and f8 and movesaid arms and the proj ection]3 laterally away from the end et the gate,so as to move said projection f3 from its engaging position whether thegate is in its elevated or depressed position. If the gate is depressedand engaged, as shown in Fig. 4, the elevator on ascending, as indicatedby the arrow, will lform contact with the extension f7 and push the saidarms and projection f l laterally and allow the gate to rise.

FG is a guard rising from the plate F and extending over the ends of thearms F2 and F3, so as to guide the latter in their movcments. In lieu ofthe weight F, a spring F7 may be applied in any suitable way to hold thearms F2 and F3 toward the gate. Fig. (i shows one mode of applying sucha spring.

The gate for the lowest iloor is mounted in the same manner as are theintermediate gates; but no locks need be used if itis desired todispense with them. Projections d may extend into the path of theelevator IDO IIO

from the upper portion of the gate, so as to be engaged by the elevatorin its descent, whereby the gate is depressed by the descending elevatorand there lheld until the elevator again rises. The uppermost gate isshown as mountedwithout a counter-balance as well as without the locks,and the lower portion of the ,gate has projections d extending inwardinto the path ot the upper portionot the elevator-frame, so that whenthe latter rises it engages said projections and carries the gate upwardwith it and retains it there until the elevator again descends,whereupon the gate descends by its own weight to its position to theentrance of the elevator-shaft.

It is to be noted that the projections d CZ on the uppermost and lowestgates are not essential to the operation as described. In lieu of thesaid projections, each of said gates may be set farther in from the wallof the elevator-shaft than the intermediate gates, so that the elevatorin rising or descending will engage said gates directly. Thisisillustrated in the gates on the right wall of Fig. 2.

lVhen no part of the frame of the elevator is at the proper height tolift the uppermost gates, then a horizontal arm I I is to be applied tothe upper portionpf the usual upright H2 of the elevator, the ends ofsaid arm extending'out just far enough to engage said gates. Y

It is to be observed, further, that the lock may be formed by the use ofonly one of the arms F2 or F3. Either of these arms may be omitted andthe other extended at its free end past the projection f3 (which it mustSupport or control) to a sufficient distance to support a secondextension like F7 or F8. Then, whether the elevator moves up or down,the two extensions will be engaged by the elevator, and the singleextended arm F2 or F3 will be moved laterally, so as to carry theprojection f2 out of the path of the gate. This form of the lock isillustrated in Fig. 8.

I claim as my inventionl. An elevator-shaft and elevator comprising oneor more entrances from several floors, as herein described, a gate orgates arranged at the intermediate entrance or entrances, said gate orgates being arranged on suitable ways and provided with a suitablecounterbalance heavier than the gate, and a lock having a projectionheld normally in the path of the gate and controlled by a moving part orparts, which extend into the path of the elevator above and below suchprojection, whereby said projection is moved out of the path of the gateby the elevator when the latter moves up or down past such lock, and agate at the lowestentrance arranged on similar ways and provided with acounterbalance and arranged to be engaged by t-he elevator upon thedescent of the latter, and a gate at the uppermost entrance arranged tobe engaged by the elevator when the latter ascends, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and elevator having one ormore entrances, as herein described, of a gate or gates arranged at suchentrance or entrances, said gate or gates being arranged on suitableways and provided with a suitable counterbalance heavier than the gate,and an arm or arms controlling a projection arranged to extend into thepath of said gate, a weight or spring arranged to hold said armslaterally toward the gate, and lateral extensions on said arm above andbelow said projection standing in the path of the elevator,substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and elevator having one ormore entrances, as herein described, of a gate or gates arranged at suchentrance or entrances, said gate or gates being arranged on suitableways and provided with a suitable counterbalance heavier than the gate,and a plate F', placed opposite the end of the gate, ai'ins F2 and F3,applied to said plate, connected by a joint at their meeting ends, andbearing a projection extending in the path ot' the gate, and hinged tosaid plate at their opposite ends, and having the meeting ends heldnormally toward the gate by a weight or spring, and each having anextension reaching into the path of the elevator, substantially Aasshown and described.

4. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and its elevator and a gateat the entrance to such elevator, said gate being arranged on suitableways, of a tube G3 and bracket G4, mounted loosely upon the upper end ofsaid tube, a roller G2, supported upon said bracket, and a rope or chainG', extending from said counter-balance over said roller to the gate,substantially as shown and described.v

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 20th day ot' July, in the yearlSSQ.

AUGUSTUS NEVELL.

Witnesses:

AMBRosE RisDoN, CYRUs KEHR.

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